Weapon adaptability has been and remains advantageous. Generalists have sought to add functionality to their weapon. A well known, and well documented example of enhanced functionality, namely, dual functionality, is the M203 40 mm grenade launcher. This single shot launcher was designed as a rifle attachment in order to increase the efficiency with which a soldier could alternate between bullet fire via the “host weapon,” and high energy grenade fire which was previously available via use of a dedicated, separate weapon, namely, the M79. Many interface approaches were developed in furtherance of equipping a host weapon with the M203 launcher (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,489 (Kurak), U.S. Pat. No. 5,930,935 (Griffin), and U.S. Pat. No. 6,134,823 (Griffin)).
In addition to a primary function of propelling a munition, a variety of supplemental or secondary weapon system functions/features are advantageous and well know. For example, accessory articles for enhanced target sighting, target illumination, and weapon support (via shoulder strap, grip, bi-pod, tri-pod, etc.), to name but a few, are well known. To facilitate such enhanced functionality for a weapon/host weapon (i.e., the inclusion of accessory articles), interface solutions were sought, and a rail system (i.e., bracket) emerged.
The two most common are the Rail Interface System (RIS) and Rail Adapter System (RAS), each of which is essentially a bracket, more particularly an accessory mounting rail, used in connection to small arms weapons. The rails commonly replace the factory handguards of a host weapon system, e.g., SR-15(AR-15), M-16, or SR-25 weapon systems (see e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,490,822 (Swan) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,363 (Olsen)) or other element thereof such as a handle (see e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,806 (Swan)), and are placed directly on the receiver of the weapon. Alternately, unaltered or minimally altered host weapon rail arrangements are know, more particularly, those in which rails are added to the host weapon as opposed to substituted for a portion of the barrel handguard or the like (see e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,792,711 (Battaglia)). Either rail style/format functions so as to provide attachment points for a variety of weapon system accessories such as tactical lights and laser sighting modules.
The subject systems have their origins in military standard “MIL-STD-1913 (AR), 3 Feb. 1995” entitled “Dimensioning of Accessory Mounting Rail for Small Arms Weapon”, and an update thereto, namely, “MIL-STD-1913 Update Notice 1, 10 Jun. 1999.” The subject standard, herein incorporated by reference, established methods of dimensioning accessory mounting rails for small arms weapon systems, and also established uniform accessory mounting rails and requirements that are interchangeable among the different units of the United States Department of Defense. As the standard was first published by the Picatinny Arsenal of N.J. , such devices are commonly referred to as “Picatinny rails.” The standard, having been adopted by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), is also know by that organization's designation, namely, STANAG 2324.
As previously noted, known rail systems are generally, but not necessarily installed in place of the weapon hand guard (i.e., substituted therefore), and are intended to provide a universal structure (i.e., a profiled rail) for mating attachment (i.e., receipt) of accessories, e.g., a flashlight, a thermal scope, a laser, etc., to the rifle at 3, 6, 9, and 12-o'clock positions about the weapon barrel. Known systems incorporate different rail lengths and integration techniques for attachment of the rail structure to the weapon. Some units consist of a two-piece assembly, namely, a first portion providing rails at the 3, 9, and 12-o'clock positions, and a second portion providing a rail at/for the 6-o'clock position. Heretofore, it had been advantageous that the rail of the 6-o'clock position be separately removable so as to permit grenade launcher installation (i.e., in lieu thereof, as each structure competes for the same physical space, and generally uses the same attachment points on the weapon).
Numerous interface arrangement solutions for attaching to a profiled rail of a rail structure are known. For example, in the context of the ever prevalent vertical forend grips, such devices themselves are characterized by the well known female mounting flange which is slidingly received upon a profiled rail of the RAS, and thereafter selectively bound against a portion of the profiled rail via, for example, a threaded fastener tightened to engage or press against the profiled rail so as to secure the grip thereto (see e.g., U.S. Pat. Appl. Pub. No. US 2006/0277809A1 (Moody et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,489 (Fanelli et al.)). Moreover, actuatable jaws or jaws segments, configured for receipt of a segment of a profiled rail, are known for operative engagement with a profiled rail of the RAS, see e.g., the RailGrip™ vertical forend device of RM Equipment, Inc., Miami Fla. (RME), note also U.S. Pat. No. 7,698,847 (Griffin). Further still, a variety of fixtures, generally securable to a profiled rail of the RAS and adapted to receive/support a supplemental device once secured to the rail structure, are well known, see e.g., the lever actuated camming style fixtures of U.S. Pat. No. 7,739,824 (Swan), U.S. Pat. No. 7,493,721 (Swan) & U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,988 (Swan).
While fastening ease and reliability of the fastened condition or state for and between the supplemental device and the profiled rail of the RAS are no doubt important considerations, a one-size-fits-most approach has its shortcomings as the characterization implies. Such shortcomings are particularly noteworthy in the context of supporting a supplemental device as opposed to a relatively passive device such as accessory articles, e.g., a light, a sight, a grip, etc. For instance, in the context of equipping a host weapon with a grenade launcher, the physics associated with the launcher, i.e., its form and functionality in furtherance of firing a round that will be appropriately armed, and attendant forces generated during operation, necessitate foregoing a one-size-fits-most clamping solution. Moreover, tolerance departures as to the technical specifications of/for a given profiled rail of a rail structure are often encountered, with a one-size-fits-most approach further hamstrung in this regard.
In light of the foregoing, it is believed particularly advantageous to provide a robust and versatile rail attachment solution for a weapon or replica thereof, operative or otherwise, either as a primary or as a supplemental article or device, in the form of a device or fixture which is characterized by a body and a clamp assembly, operatively supported thereby, for sure reliable selective attachment to a profiled rail of a rail structure. Moreover, such apparatus or fixture should not encumber or otherwise negatively impact functionality and/or operator ergonomics in relation to use of the host and/or the supplement, and advantageously, a profiled rail attachment solution is contemplated which may be contextually specific (i.e., in the form of an adapted supplemental device such as a grenade launcher, or an adapted accessory article such as a forend grip wherein a device or fixture body is part-and-parcel of the supplement/accessory), or contextually generic (i.e., the fixture body is adapted or readily adaptable to operably receive, engage, etc. a supplement/accessory, a portion thereof or one or more elements thereof). Further still, it is believed both desirable and advantageous to provide such device, article, apparatus or fixture having means for selective affixation to the profiled rail which is sure and reliable, more particularly, to provide a clamping assembly wherein actuatable clamping elements possess heretofore unseen degrees of freedom in furtherance of accommodating and reliably securing rails having profiles within a select range of dimensional tolerances, and more particularly still, to provide actuatable clamping elements which self-seat in relation to an apparatus body and a profiled rail so received.